Major Group: Science and Technology
STATEMENT BY the Scientific and Technological Community (STC) Maior Group
Delivered by Craig Starger as part of the International Council for Science (STC Major
Group) ·
United Nations Oceans Conference, New York, June 5-9 2017
Thank you very much Mr(s ). Co-Facilitators and Distinguished Delegates:
I am speaking on behalf of the Scientific and Technological Community Major
Group. My name is Craig Starger, representing the International Council for
Science and its research programme Future Earth.
The scientific community welcomes the initiative to hold a first international
gathering dedicated to a specific Sustainable Development Goal, and is keen to
contribute to the implementation of SDG 14, and to offer a dedicated platform to
bring together all those touched by ocean issues.
As we have heard multiple times throughout the week, SDG 14 cannot be
implemented in isolation. More than ever before we need to understand the
interlinkages with other goals and targets.
We would like to draw your attention to important lessons from a new report
from the International Council for Science, A Guide to SDG Interactions: from
Science to Implementation. The report provides a blueprint to help countries
achieve the SDGs by examining the interactions between the various goals and
targets across the 2030 Agenda, and determining to what extent they reinforce or
conflict with each other. This is just the beginning of what we hope will be a
concerted effort by research, policy and practitioner communities.
We hope this blueprint can help deliver the tools needed to respond to the Call
to Action.
The Scientific and Technological Community pledges to work at all levels -
global, national and local - to promote ocean sustainability in support of SDG
14. 'We pledge to do this work in close collaboration with the policy and
practitioner communities. That is why our Voluntary Commitment is a multistakeholder
platform, the Ocean Knowledge-Action Network, which is
supported by the international programmes Future Earth and its Global Research
Projects; the World Climate Research Programme-CLIV AR; the
Intergovernmental Oceanograph~c Commission-UNESCO; and the ICSUScientific
Committe_e on Oceanic Research. The Ocean Knowledge-Action
Network aims at advancing integrated ocean research globally to chart a course
from knowledge of ocean systems to changes in policies, practices, governance
and behaviours that will support sustaining those sys~ems.
We are encouraged by the leadership shown at this conference by both Member
States and stakeholder communities to create new and innovative partnerships
STATEMENT BY the Scientific and Technological Community (STC) Major Group
Delivered by Craig Starger as part of the International Council for Science {STC Major
Group)
United Nations Oceans Conference, New York, June 5-9 2017
needed to achieve sustainability and secure the health of our ocean. As
representatives of the scientific community, we recognise the importance of
cooperation and dialogue between regions and between. the regional and the
global level.
The scientific community has an important role to play to ensure that efforts to
save our ocean take into account the web of complex interactions that make up
the Earth system. The scientific community is here to provide actionable
knowledge where it is most needed. We call on governments, civil society, the
business community and all stakeholders to join the Ocean Knowledge-Action
Network and start a dialogue to make sure knowledge will be used efficiently
and effectively to make the decisions that will safeguard the ocean for future
generations.
Delivered by Craig Starger as part of the International Council for Science (STC Major
Group) ·
United Nations Oceans Conference, New York, June 5-9 2017
Thank you very much Mr(s ). Co-Facilitators and Distinguished Delegates:
I am speaking on behalf of the Scientific and Technological Community Major
Group. My name is Craig Starger, representing the International Council for
Science and its research programme Future Earth.
The scientific community welcomes the initiative to hold a first international
gathering dedicated to a specific Sustainable Development Goal, and is keen to
contribute to the implementation of SDG 14, and to offer a dedicated platform to
bring together all those touched by ocean issues.
As we have heard multiple times throughout the week, SDG 14 cannot be
implemented in isolation. More than ever before we need to understand the
interlinkages with other goals and targets.
We would like to draw your attention to important lessons from a new report
from the International Council for Science, A Guide to SDG Interactions: from
Science to Implementation. The report provides a blueprint to help countries
achieve the SDGs by examining the interactions between the various goals and
targets across the 2030 Agenda, and determining to what extent they reinforce or
conflict with each other. This is just the beginning of what we hope will be a
concerted effort by research, policy and practitioner communities.
We hope this blueprint can help deliver the tools needed to respond to the Call
to Action.
The Scientific and Technological Community pledges to work at all levels -
global, national and local - to promote ocean sustainability in support of SDG
14. 'We pledge to do this work in close collaboration with the policy and
practitioner communities. That is why our Voluntary Commitment is a multistakeholder
platform, the Ocean Knowledge-Action Network, which is
supported by the international programmes Future Earth and its Global Research
Projects; the World Climate Research Programme-CLIV AR; the
Intergovernmental Oceanograph~c Commission-UNESCO; and the ICSUScientific
Committe_e on Oceanic Research. The Ocean Knowledge-Action
Network aims at advancing integrated ocean research globally to chart a course
from knowledge of ocean systems to changes in policies, practices, governance
and behaviours that will support sustaining those sys~ems.
We are encouraged by the leadership shown at this conference by both Member
States and stakeholder communities to create new and innovative partnerships
STATEMENT BY the Scientific and Technological Community (STC) Major Group
Delivered by Craig Starger as part of the International Council for Science {STC Major
Group)
United Nations Oceans Conference, New York, June 5-9 2017
needed to achieve sustainability and secure the health of our ocean. As
representatives of the scientific community, we recognise the importance of
cooperation and dialogue between regions and between. the regional and the
global level.
The scientific community has an important role to play to ensure that efforts to
save our ocean take into account the web of complex interactions that make up
the Earth system. The scientific community is here to provide actionable
knowledge where it is most needed. We call on governments, civil society, the
business community and all stakeholders to join the Ocean Knowledge-Action
Network and start a dialogue to make sure knowledge will be used efficiently
and effectively to make the decisions that will safeguard the ocean for future
generations.